KEY POINTS:
When a woman friend tried to stop him driving after drinking, Donald Robinson assaulted her, Tauranga District Court was told today.
"You were motivated by alcohol. That is no excuse whatsoever," Judge Thomas Ingram told the 61-year-old when he sentenced him to 75 hours community work.
The judge said the victim had been acting for his own good when he committed the "nasty" assault.
Had the charge been laid as male assaults female under the Crimes Act, the penalty would have been much tougher, he pointed out.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Graham said the pair had been in a relationship for about four months and the defendant was at her place for dinner on December 31.
They had been drinking and got into an argument, prompting Robinson to want to go home.
He was advised not to drive and, when the woman stood between him and his vehicle, he pushed her and twisted her arms behind her back.
A neighbour intervened and called police while Robinson drove off.
Spoken to at his house, he said he just wanted to go home and the woman was stopping him.
Defence lawyer Ned Burke told the judge Robinson was currently receiving counselling and wanted to do a "living with violence" course. His partner was in court to support him.
Judge Ingram flatly refused a request to convict and discharge Robinson.
"I am not having women beaten up by men. You will need to find a far more lenient judicial officer than me," he said.
"I have seen far too much of this in court. I am not going to do it."
- NZPA
